Container



- May 21, 1940- R. WELLS ET AL CONTAINER Filed Sept. 24, 19257 ATTORNEY Patented May 21, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcr; I

2,201,462 CONTAINER poration cf Delaware Application September 24, 1937, Serial No. `165,534

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in containers and more particularly to containers which are especially adapted for the accommodation of eggs during shipment and storage.

It is common practice to pack eggs in shipping containers and then stack a large number of said containers in cold storage rooms. The method of stacking commonly employed includes the use of spaced wooden strips or elongated sticks between layers of containers with the sticks extending beneath corner portions of the boxes. Frequently the eggs are in storage for several months, and during this period the berboard Walls of the containers become softened by mois ture with the result that the corner portions resting on the wooden strips break down. This necessarily causes breakage of eggs and monetary loss to the packer.

It is a general object of the present invention to obviate the above-mentioned objectionable feature of the usual berboard shipping container by providing a box wherein the corners and ends are reinforced in a novel manner to obtain resistance against crushing at the corners.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a container having ends of triple thickness with one of the layers of material of the ends formed with side flanges which are positionable adjacent the inner surface of the end portions of the side walls to provide an extra thickness of material at the corners.

A further object of the invention is to provide a box construction as above described wherein said corner reinforcing flanges are produced Without Waste of material, the entire container body being economically formed from a single, substantially rectangular blank of fiberboard or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container having corner reinforcements which comprise vertically disposed flat strips of wood or the like stitched or otherwise secured locally at the corners.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container as above described wherein the corner reinforcing flanges may be additionally strengthened by thin, ilat strips of Wood or the like. the latter being preferably interposed between the flanges and the inner surface of the side Walls of the box.

A further object of the invention is to provide in combination a box and cover therefor, said cover being formed with depending anges cooperable in a novel manner with the peculiar structure of the box proper to maintain and support the cover and to form a relatively tight closure.

A further object of the inventio-n is to provide a container having ends of triple thickness l through which hand holes are formed, said triple I thickness serving to prevent cutting of the hand during lifting of the container, and in addition serving to eliminate the possibility of tearing adjacent the hand hole.

With the above and other objects in view, theV l invention consists of the improved container and. all its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention, in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

Figl l is a plan view of a cut and scored blank for producing the container proper;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a cut and scored blank for forming the cover;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of the assembled container with the cover removed;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3, with the cover in position;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan View of one of the corners of the container, the cover flanges be` ing shown in section and in inserted position;

Fig. 6 is 'a similar view showing a fragment of the cover;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line 'I-l of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the method employed in stacking the containers during storage thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the box is preferably constructed vof berboard, corrugated board, or the like, comprising a bottom Wall IU, side Walls II and I2 foldably connected along the lines of scoring I3 and I4 to the bottom Wall, end forming members I 5 and I6 foldably connected to opposite ends of the bottom wall, end forming members Il and I8 foldablyconnected along lines of scoring I9 and 20 to the side Wall II, and end forming members 2l and 22 foldably connected along lines of scoring 23 and 24 to the side Wall I2.

One of the novel features of the container resides in the formation of flanges 25 foldably connected along the lines of scoring 26 to the end forming member I5, and flanges 21 foldably connected along the lines of scoring 28 to the end forming member I 6. These flanges, it is to be noted, are cut from. material which would other wise form portions of the end forming members l1, I8, 2I and 22. With this method of cutting, the flanges may be formed as desired without waste in cutting, and it is to be noted from Figure 1 that the entire blank is formed from a sheet of material of substantially rectangular outline.

The flanges 25 and 2'! preferably, although not necessarily, have their lower end portions tapered as at 29 and 3B. With this arrangement the end forming members I1, I8, 2l and 22 are left with material of full length at the lines of fold I9, 2li, 23 and 24.

To assemble the container the end forming members I5 and i6 are folded upwardly with respect to the bottom wall Ell, and the flanges and 2'! are folded at right angles to the end members I5 and I6. Next the side walls II and I2 are folded upwardly and the end forming members I'I, 2|, I8 and 22 are folded laterally over each other and over the end forming members i5 and I6 as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3.

This brings the hand hole openings El of the end forming members into registration with one another, and it is to be noted that said hand hole openings extend through a triple thickness of material so that danger of cutting the hand during lifting of the container is eliminated. In addition, the triple thickness eliminates the possibility of the fiberboard being torn adjacent the hand holes.

The purpose of the flanges 25 and 2'! in connection with the end forming members l5 and I6 is to form a reinforcement and an extra thickness at each corner of the container, and while these flanges would alone possess great advantages, nevertheless it is desirable to additionally reinforce the corners by the use of thin, fiat, wooden reinforcing strips 32 which are preferably of veneer wood. While these strips are ordinarily not inserted until the container is assembled, they are illustrated as placed on the blank of Fig. l to more clearly show the position occupied thereby. The wooden strips are preferably inserted between the flanges 25 and 2'! and the side walls of the container as more clearly shown in Figs.

3, 4 and 5, and wire stitching or stapling 33 extending through the side walls of the container,

:.- through the wooden strips 32 and through the flanges 25 and 2'! is employed to hold said parts in assembled position. The stitching 23 preferably terminates short of the upper ends of the strips 32 so that said upper ends are free from the adjacent side wall portions of the container. The end wall forming members are also preferably secured together by wire stitching 3d, and said stitching is arranged to provide for yielding separation of the upper portions of the end formi ing members from one another.

The container illustrated is adapted for the reception of twenty-four dozen eggs, and accordingly the partition 35, preferably of wood, is employed to divide the container into two parts. Nails 36 may be employed to secure the edges of the partition 25 to the side walls of th-e container. These nails preferably terminate short of the upper edge of the partition so that upper side Wall portions of the container may be yieldingly pulled away from the partition as shown in Fig. 7.

'Ihe box may obviously be of smaller size to hold only twelve dozen eggs. In this case the container is half as long as that shown in Fig. 3, and no partition isutilized.

The cover may Vconsist of a top portion 3l, side flanges 38 and 39 and end anges 40 and 4I. The cover is placed in position by first inserting the depending end flange 40 between yieldingly spread upper portions of the end forming members I'! and 2 l as illustrated in Fig. 4. Due to the tapered ends of the cover ange 49, the insertion of said flange will not be interfered with by the wire stitching at the upper corners of the ends. Next the side flanges 38 and 39 `of the cover are inserted between the wooden reinforcing strips 32 and the side walls of the container' as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and between the upper portion of the wooden partition 35 and the side walls of the container as shown in Fig. 7. This insertion is permitted because of the fact that the wire stitching 33 terminates short of the upper ends of the wooden strips and because of the fact that the nails 36 terminate short of the upper edge of the partition 35. During such insertion of the side flanges of the cover, the other end flange 4I of the cover is also inserted between yieldingly separated upper portions of the end members I8 and 22 as also shown in Fig. 4. As a result of this arrangement the cover flanges are not only yieldingly held in inserted position, but the cover is also firmly supported. By referring to Fig. 4, it is apparent that one end of the cover rests on the upper edges of the end forming members 22 and I6, that the other end of the cover rests on the upper edges of end forming members 2l and I5, and that the side portions of the cover are supported not only by the partition 35, but also by the upper ends of the reinforcing strips 32 and flanges 25 and 2'!. Thus the edge portions of the cover are supported cn two thicknesses of material.

Referring again to Figs. 1 and 3, it is apparent that the method of cutting the flanges 25 and 2'! with tapered lower ends 25 and 39 leaves a section of material such as the sections 42 and 43, shown in Fig. 3, so that the end forming members I8 and l.

22 have sufficient material to extend to the bottom of the4 container at the corner fold. Thus each corner of the container is of double thickness, and on each side of the corner proper there is triple thickness. This triple thickness is produced by the three end forming members on one side of each corner, and by the side wall, wooden reinforcing strip, and reinforcing ange on the other side ofthe corner.

Eggs may be packed within the container by use of any of the well-known flats and cellular partitions, and the cover, after it is placed in position, may be sealed by the use of gummed tape along the edges of the box and cover. Ventilating holes lli may be provided in the side container if desired. Y

After eggs are packed in the containers, it is common practice to place a large number of the containers in cold storage rooms pending shipment. The method of stacking the containers in these cold storage rooms usually includes the use of spaced wooden sticks l5 (Fig. 8) between the tiers, and these sticks extend transversely of the containers near the ends thereof. Heretofore, due to the weight cf the containers one on another, and due to the fact that the fiberboard became softened by absorbed moisture, the corner portions of the boxes resting on the wooden sticks would frequently become crushed, that is the sticks 45 would dig into said corners and cause breakage of eggs. With the present invention the wooden sticks extend beneath the. lower ends of the reinforcing flanges 25 and 2'! and beneath thelower ends of the wooden reinforcing strips 32. Thus there is no danger of said corners being crushed. In addition the corners proper are of plural thickness due to the use of the reinforcingiianges 25 and 21 extending around said corners in the interior of the container.

. It is obvious that the advantages of this invention will be accomplished, to a somewhat lesser degree, by use of the berboard anges 25 and 2l without the wooden; reinforcing strips 32. It is also obvious that the iiberboard reinforcing flanges 25 and 2l may be formed without the lower end tapers 29 and 3S to thereby extend entirely to the botom of the container. While the container is particularly suitable for the handling of eggs during shipment and storage, it is well adapted for use in connection with various other products.

The feature of using the flanges 21 with reenforcing strips 32 interposed between said iianges and the inner surface oi the side walls of the container to reenforce the latter at the corners, is obviously applicable for use in connection with a Bliss type of box. Opposite side edges of the end walls of a Bliss type of box would be formed with flanges corresponding to the flanges 2l of Fig. 3, and thin flat strips of wood such as Veneer wood similar to the strips 32 of Fig, 3,

from each end of the bottom wall,end forming' positioned over the strips of Wood on adjacent side wall portions to provide smooth inner covers for said strips, said strips of wood preventing crushing of the container corners while the containers are stacked in tiers on spaced elongated sticks extending transversely of the containers beneathv the straight lower ends of said wooden strips.

2. In a container formed of libre board or the like and having bottom, side and end walls, thin, fiat strips of wood of athickness approximately equal to that ofthe fibre board positioned vertically against the inner surface of the side walls of the container adjacent the corners thereof and having straight upper and lower ends terminatingV at the top and bottom of the container, there being flanges bent inwardly from' the end walls within the container and positioned over the strips of wood to provide smooth inner covers for said strips, said'stripsfpreventing crushing of the container corners while vthe containers are stacked in tiers on spaced elongated sticks eX- tending transversely of the containers beneath the straight lower ends of said Wooden strips.

RAYMOND WELLS. HERBERT M. KIECKHEFER. 

